'Moron' ISIS Fighter Leads US Straight to His HQ

Hapless jihadi takes selfie outside Islamic State command center - US Air Force does the rest.

Ari Soffer, 07/06/15 14:43

The US has carried out 133 strikes since Aug.

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A "moronic" ISIS terrorist unwittingly led US warplanes to his headquarters, after posting a selfie and disseminating it via his public social media profile.

The airstrike, which took place a week ago, and the hapless jihadi's role in facilitating it were revealed by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, at a June 1 speech in Arlington, Virginia, relayed by Air Force Times.

"The [airmen are] combing through social media and they see some moron standing at this command," Carlisle told an audience at an Air Force Association speech. "And in some social media, open forum, bragging about command and control capabilities for Da'esh, ISIL, And these guys go 'ah, we got an in.'"

Less than 24 hours after the post, the entire building was reduced to rubble - complete with its Islamist occupants.

"So they do some work, long story short, about 22 hours later through that very building, three JDAMS take that entire building out," he said of the US Air Force intelligence. "Through social media. It was a post on social media. Bombs on target in 22 hours."

"It was incredible work, and incredible airmen doing this sort of thing."

ISIS, or Islamic State, has made extremely effective use of social media in waging a propaganda war against its foes, as well as in encouraging new recruits from abroad - including thousands of western-born Muslims.

But the group has also struggled with the challenge of rookie terrorists giving away sensitive and potentially compromising intelligence or other information away through their social media activities, leading ISIS to issue written directives instructing its fighters on how to use social media sensibly.